Hillsdale students poured into the Grewcock Student Union from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Nov. 20 to write thank-you cards for donors, friends, and professors — a decade-old tradition called Day of Thanks.

“I love Day of Thanks. I think it’s the most special day of the year,” senior Abigail Celecia said. “There’s nothing more special than everyone coming to the union and sitting down and writing why they’re thankful.”

Day of Thanks is a collective effort between the Student Activities Board, the financial aid office, and the alumni office, according to Associate Director of Alumni Relations Braden VanDyke ‘21. 

“It almost runs on its own,” VanDyke said. “It’s a really cool visual opportunity to see how the college comes together, both from an institutional advancement and financial aid standpoint, as well as students and gratitude.”

SAB set up dozens of tables in the student union and covered them in brown paper. SAB provided coffee, hot chocolate, chai, and snacks. The cards, also provided by SAB, were designed by students in a competition prior to Day of Thanks.

“We send out an email on the SAO newsletter asking for submissions from students. Once all the cards are submitted, a few are chosen,” senior Emma Kate Mellors said. “We try to make sure there’s diverse designs while also trying to have as many submissions chosen and printed as possible. Then we send the chosen cards to the print center.”

Students swung by the union throughout the day to receive a sheet containing the contact information of the donors contributing to their scholarships and wrote personalized cards to each contact.

“Day of Thanks has always primarily been a donor-writing initiative,” VanDyke said. “But in the last five years of its decade-long existence, there’s been a more concerted push to get financial aid involved and get every student to write to their donors. As you may know, scholarships account for over 50% on average of students’ billed costs.”

Alfonso Garcia, a fifth-year senior, said that witnessing Day of Thanks made him especially appreciative of the donations that made his liberal arts education possible. 

“It’s really awesome to be able to give back and let them know that we’re so appreciative,” Garcia said. 

In addition to thanking donors, students take the time to write to friends, family, professors, and alumni. 

“I think I’ve sent a card down to Steubenville to my best friend from high school four years in a row now,” senior Bernadette Novacek said. “It was bittersweet this year, as a senior, to be writing to dear friends who have graduated by now, and mailing them out of state instead of slipping their card under their door.”

Celecia said Day of Thanks broadens her perspective and improves her day. 

“I think that it’s the day on campus everyone has the most smiles on their face, and it’s just generally happy, because when you force yourself to be grateful, it affects your whole day. So it’s a beautiful thing, and we should do it more often,” Celecia said.